The Supreme Court has stayed the High Court verdict that doubled BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's five-year jail term in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

The Appellate Division of the apex court on Monday allowed Khaleda to move an appeal before the court challenging the HC verdict.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, passed the order after holding hearing on two separate leave to appeal petitions filed by Khaleda against the HC judgement.

The SC also asked the lawyers for Khaleda to submit in two weeks the concise statements containing the points on which they will place arguments on the appeals before this court.

Khaleda, also former prime minister, filed the leave to appeal petitions with the Appellate Division on March 14, 2019 through his lawyer challenging the HC verdict. In the petitions, she prayed to the apex court to scrap her 10-year sentence.

BNP chairperson landed in jail on February 8, 2018, after a special court in Dhaka sentenced her to five years in jail in connection with the case. A petition was filed by the ACC, following which the HC on October 30 increased the punishment to 10 years' imprisonment.